In many situations it is desirable to be able to control the amount of light passing into association with components of a building. For instance passive solar collection systems, such as trombe walls, can benefit from having the amount and/or wave length of light passing thereto controlled, as well as the amount of heat leaving the trombe wall and the light being reflected before impacting the trombe wall. Also it is desirable to be able to control the venting of air past the trombe wall.
Another situation in which light control is desirable is in a system associated with a building to supply sunlight to interior portions of the building located significant distances away from exterior windows, and daylight also is desirably controlled at the exterior walls.
According to the present invention a system is provided which has a number of advantages, including excellent versatility and heat and light control, in a wide variety of applications associated with buildings.
According to one aspect of the present invention, in combination with a building, a structure is provided comprising: a trombe wall; means for controlling the passage of light to the trombe wall, said means comprising: a pair of spaced rollers disposed exteriorly of the wall and rotatable about axes substantially parallel to each other; a sheet of material rolled up on the rollers, the sheet having separate and distinct portions thereof each of which has substantially the same length and height as a portion of the trombe wall, and the sheet separate and distinct portions having varying light transmission properties for affecting the amount and/or wave length of natural light passing through the sheet into contact with the trombe wall; and means for effecting rotation of the rollers to control which of the separate and distinct portions of the sheet is in operative association with the trombe wall at any one time.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a selectively switched shading structure comprising a unitary structure including: frame means, including perimeter frame portions defining a chamber therebetween, and transparent panel means defining one side of the structure (with vents at the top and bottom) and extending between the perimeter frame means; a pair of spaced rollers rotatable about generally parallel axes of rotation and mounted by the frame means; a sheet rolled up on the rollers and having distinct portions of varying properties, each of the distinct portions having approximately the same width and height as the chamber defined by the frame means, and the different and distinct portions of the sheet having varying light transmission properties for affecting the amount and/or wave length of light which passes therethrough after first passing through the transparent panel means; and means for effecting rotation of the rollers to control which of the separate portions of the sheet is disposed in operative association with the transparent panel means at any one time.
According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided in combination with the room of a building, a system for supplying daylight to portions in the interior of the building located a significant distance from exterior windows, the system comprising: A first component having a generally planar configuration and disposed at an angle between a roof portion and a wall portion of the building on a side thereof which receives sunlight. A parabolic reflector operatively mounted behind the first component for receipt and reflecting of light having a low trajectory that passes through the first component. Flat light reflecting means disposed in operative association with the parabolic reflector and the first component to reflect light from the parabolic reflector, and high trajectory light passing through the first component, into the interior space of the building. And, further reflective surfaces disposed within the building and mounted with respect to the flat reflecting means for dispersing and diffusing light reflected by the flat reflecting means into interior portions of the building remote from exterior windows. Similar arrangements may be made for roof skylights, too.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide simple and effective light and/or heat control for a building. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention, and from the appended claims.